5 Places to Visit in Bolivia!

Bolivia is a fantastic country to visit and is full of different treasures of traveling to explore and these are the five places I recommend to visit on any trip to Bolivia.

Bolivia is a country of many contrasts and is a wonderful place to visit on any trip through South America. This land locked country may be one of the poorest in South America, but from the exquisite natural beauty to the stunning and varied landscapes throughout the country that might be a detail you don’t even notice. What type of landscapes you ask? Well, from the Atacama Desert in the west to the high Andes mountains and finally to the jungles of the Amazon in the east, there is an immense amount of natural beauty and diversity throughout the entire country.

This diversity not only includes mother nature, but also the many different cultures that developed in those very diverse regions of the country. Bolivia is one of the highest countries on Earth and even its very own capital, La Paz, has the designation of being the highest capital in the world! From the highest capital city in the world, to the unworldly landscape of the largest salt flats in the world, to the Island of the Sun located on Lake Titicaca, which happens to be the highest navigable lake in the world, there is some type of record setting natural wonder to explore or adventure to experience in Bolivia.

Read more about the different places to visit in Bolivia on the Treasures of Traveling website!

-- Luke Keeler

The Uyuni Salt Flats are the Largest in the World!

The Salar De Uyuni is estimated to contain 10 billion tons of salt! A large amount of salt is harvested every year! The Uyuni SaltFlats is truly one of the Treasures Of Traveling in SouthAmerica that should not be missed because it is a beautiful natural wonder and is a must on anyone’s travel list so plan your trip with these tips!

After my bus journey experience where I was robbed traveling from La Paz to Uyuni, I came to the realization that even though all my photos had been taken from me, I still had my memories of those wonderful experiences in my mind and no one could take that away from me! I didn’t have much time to sulk and be depressed because from the moment we arrived in Uyuni, we had to start our new journey to see the Uyuni Salt Flats! They are the largest salt flats  in the world and travelers from all over the world love to visit this small town by the bus load, as it is an easy access point to visit the Salar de Uyuni, a natural wonder that for many is awe inspiring because of its unworldly landscape!

Read more about the Uyuni Salt Flats on the Treasures Of Traveling Website! 

-- Luke Keeler

Traveling by Bus Between La Paz and Uyuni!

This is a train town you wouldn’t want to miss!

I have had a few sad travel experiences, but my most devastating travel experience was when I traveled by bus between La Paz and Uyuni. It was one of the most sad days of my life. You probably are thinking, it couldn’t have been that awful and you might be right. It was just a devastating day to me and let me tell you why!

My friend Joni and I had just spent the last few days enjoying La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia and were trying to figure out where we should travel to next. Should we cycle down Bolivia’s Death Road, the most dangerous road in the world, or travel 348 miles to Uyuni, the southern part of the country to see the largest salt flats in the world? We were short on time and could only do one of the two activities so we chose to see the salt flats! We boarded a bus for a 10 hour overnight trip to Uyuni. I wasn’t thrilled by that aspect, but I wanted to see these salt flats since we were in Bolivia and we were so close to them.

Read more on the Treasures Of Traveling website!

-- Luke Keeler

Visiting Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley)!

The Rock Formations of Valle De La Luna showcase an unworldly landscape. Something you might expect to see on the moon; hence the name of the park, Valley Of The Moon in English. This lunar landscape of bizarre geological formations is located only 6 miles away from the city center of La Paz!

If you happen to be visiting La Paz, the highest capital in the world, make sure to set aside some time and check out the 10 must visit attractions in La Paz! Leave at least half a day or more to visit Valle de la Luna! You won’t regret it! La Paz is a big city so if you want a nice relaxing afternoon activity to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, look no further than Valle de la Luna!  

Read more about Valle de la Luna on Treasures of Traveling Website!

-- Luke Keeler

10 Must Visit Attractions in La Paz, Bolivia!

Estadio Hernando Siles is a Sports Stadium in La Paz, Bolivia. It is the country’s largest sports complex with a capacity of 41,143 seats.

La Paz has become a major destination for many backpackers and adventure travel enthusiasts as there are many great things to see and do in the capital city of Bolivia and the surrounding area around La Paz! It’s one of the many treasures of traveling in Bolivia! When arriving on my bus from Copacabana after visiting Isla del Sol, I was amazed by the enormity of La Paz! Our bus rounded the corner of the last crest of the high mountains of the Altiplano, where La Paz city skyline came into view and it took my breath away. I just wasn’t expecting such a large city located in a huge valley surrounded by so many snow capped mountains. As our bus worked it’s way down the side of the mountain we passed through the sprawling outer limits of La Paz that were full of chaotic traffic. The city’s official name is Nuestra Señora de La Paz, which in English means, Our Lady of Peace. It has a population of about 2.3 million people and is the highest capital city in the world, located 11,975 feet above sea level and it’s a city full of things to discover! Take a look at the 10 must see things in La Paz!

Read more about it on Treasures of Traveling Website!

-- Luke Keeler

Lessons Learned From a Border Crossing!

Sign at the border crossing from Peru to Bolivia.

We were thankful to arrive in Copacabana, Bolivia after having a mix-up at immigration on the border of Peru and Bolivia. When we got off the bus at border control we thought everything was in order with our documents, but on the Peruvian side, they would not let us leave the country.  We asked them why and they said I had overstayed my visa. I didn’t quite understand so I asked them how that could be and they informed me to look at my passport and see that when I entered the country the border patrol agent had stamped my passport and wrote in “60” days next to the stamp. I couldn’t even tell it said “60” and I thought it was the border patrol agent’s signature. They wanted me to pay a fine because I had overstayed my visa and I told them they hadn’t even asked me when I entered Peru how long of a visa I would need, typically it was 90 days, but the agents didn’t want to help me out so I had to pay a large fine which ate into a good chunk of my travel money so I was very upset. 

Read more about this border crossing experience on the Treasures of Traveling Website!

-- Luke Keeler

At the immigration border waiting for our bus load of people to pass through immigration from Peru to Bolivia.

6 Things to do in Copacabana, Bolivia!

View of downtown Copacabana from Cerro Calvario.

We were thankful to arrive in Copacabana, Bolivia after having a mix-up at immigration on the border of Peru and Bolivia. When we got off the bus at border control we thought everything was in order with our documents, but on the Peruvian side, they would not let us leave the country. You can read more about that in our post about Lessons Learned From a Border Crossing!

A view of Copacabana below from the top of Cerro Calvario.

We enjoyed the next couple of days relaxing in Copacabana after the border crossing fiasco! Copacabana is a beautiful town on the southern shore of Lake Titicaca, which is actually the highest navigable lake in the world. The word Copacabana comes from the Aymara language ‘Kota Kawana’ which means ‘view of the lake’, and was viewed very highly by the Inca, but when the Spaniards came, they turned this lake town into a pilgrimage site for Catholics. Which brings us to one of the first things you must see in Copacabana.  

Read more about Copacabana on Treasures of Traveling Website!

-- Luke Keeler

Visiting Isla del Sol!

A view of Isla Del Sol and Lake Titicaca. As you hike around this enchanting island, you will see beautiful rolling hills that are covered in terraced fields along with stunning views of the island & of the lake.

One of my favorite TREASURES OF TRAVELING in Bolivia was the peaceful island of Isla del sol! The best starting point to explore Isla del Sol is from Copacabana where there are many tour companies practically begging you to come on their half day or full day tour of the famous Inca Island called Isla del Sol!  It is the largest island on Lake Titicaca and it is a great day trip from Copacabana. You can also visit Isla del Luna on a tour as well. I didn’t have a chance to visit Isla del Luna, but I really enjoyed the natural beauty of Isla del Sol!

Read more about Isla del Sol on Treasures Of Traveling website!

-- Luke Keeler